Ball game and apparatus



March 6, 1962 c. P. CHALCROFT BALL GAME AND APPARATUS Filed Feb. 12, 1960 INVENTOR. (names P. Cl-lALc ram-"T United States Patent Gfifice 3,ilZ4,iiZ4 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 This invention relatesto a novel ball game and apparatus which involves aspects of baseball and cricket.

The primary object of theinvention is to provide a game and apparatus for playing a game of the kind indicated, which is especially attractive to and suitable to be played by young persons, who are limited as to financial resources for equipment and as to available space, and which can be played in spaces smaller than required for playing soft ball.

, Another object of the invention is to provide a game and apparatus of the character indicated above, played with a soft ball, which is adapted to be played by individual players, without involving the delays and disputes of choosing-up of impromptu sides, thereby facilitating pickup games where playing times are limited, and which is also adapted to be played by selected opposing teams.

A further object of the invention is to provide game apparatus of the character indicated above which is simple and inexpensive and composed of a small number of com ponents, which components can be objects readily available to young players, such as sticks, empty cans, and the like.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic top plan view showing a play ing area, batting stations located thereon, and players positioned relative thereto;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a batting station, showing a bat held by a batter, in phantom lines, and engaged with a safety spot on the station;

FIGURE 3 is a group perspective view of the components of the illustrated game apparatus, apart from a ball, and providing for the two batting stations;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view, on the scale of FIG- URE 2, showing a modified form of batting station; and,

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical transverse section, taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like and related numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, and first to FIGURES l to 4, the illustrated game apparatus comprises a playing area A, upon which is laid a pair of similar batting stations, generally designated 10, which comprise triangular fiat batters plates 12, of any suitable material. The batters plates 12 are preferably of relatively thick rigid material, such as rubber or a synthetic, but can be of relatively thin and flexible material, if desirable or necessary. The plates 12 are aligned with each other and spaced at a distance of about thirtyfive feet.

The plates 12 have straight edges, including a rear edge 14, forwardly converging side edge portions 16, joined to the ends of the rear edge 14 by short side edge portions 18, and a short forward edge 20. Suitably designated upon the smooth upper surfaces 22 of the plates 12 are safety spots 24, located at the forward corners thereof, and wicket support locating spots 26, located at the rear corners of the plates.

Suitable wicket supports 28, such as tin cans, either empty or partially filled with sand, gravel, stones, or other readily available weighting material, are provided to be placed upon the locating spots 26, for freely supporting thereon and therebetween, wicket sticks 30, which are adapted to be knocked off the supports 28, either by a thrown ball or by a batter or a batters bat 32, with game consequences hereinafter set forth.

The wicket sticks 30, shown in FIGURES 1 to 4, comprise rigid lengths of substantial cross-section, of such as wood, which are longer than the distance between the supports 28, and are preferably of square cross-section,

so as to rest non-rotatably upon the upper ends 34 of the supports 28.

Modified wicket sticks 30a, shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, comprise lengths of round cross-section which are provided at their ends with flats 36 on the undersides thereof, to rest non-rotatably upon the tops or upper ends 34 of the supports 28. The flats 36 define shoulders 38 at their inward ends for engaging and spacing the supports 28 and facilitating accurate spacing of the supports on the batters plates 12 and stabilizing the wicket sticks 30a on the supports.

The bats 32 are preferably relatively short, as compared to standard soft-ball bats, and preferably having similar formations, providing reduced handles 40 thereon. Only two bats 32 are necessary for playing the game.

The wicket sticks 30, 30a are preferably about 13 /2 inches long and of inch diameter. The supports 28 are preferably about 4 /2 inches tall and of 3% inch diameter. The bats 32 can be regulation soft ball bats or be shorter, and the ball 42 is a regulation soft ball.

As shown in FIGURE 1, batters B take stances at either side of both batters plates, facing each other, fielders F take up appropriate but unprescribed positions behind and at the sides of the batting stations 10, while combination pitcher-catchers P-C take positions behind the stations, each pitcher-catcher alternating as a pitcher and a catcher as the ball 42 is pitched first from behind one station toward the other station, and then from the second station toward the first station.

The object of the batters B is to hit the pitched ball 42 across the playing area A to obtain distance, and/ or avoid fielders F, and enable the batters B. to exchange stations, so as to score runs each time such exchanges are completed. The game consists of six innings of three outs each.

Any time a wicket stick 30, 30a is knocked off its supports 28, either by a throw ball, while the batter has his bat 32 off the safety spot 24, or if the batter knocks his wicket stick off the supports 28 by personal contact with the wicket stick or by contact of his bat therewith, the batter is out, and his place is taken by a succeeding batter.

Running batters are required to touch the plate 12 reached with their bats to score a run," and batters can run between the stations whenever the chance presents itself, whether as a result of a hit ball or otherwise. Batters must run and try to score by reaching the other station, whether they hit a pitched ball or their hats are hit by a pitched ball, wherever the ball goes. Batters cannot strike at any but a regularly pitched ball.

The pitcher-catchers P-C, on pitching, try to knock the wicket sticks 30, 30a off the supports 28, and must serve the ball underhand, whether through the air or upon the ground, and can serve from any location behind therelated stations 10. There being no strikes or balls in the game, any hit ball is a fair ball.

Each time a wicket stick is knocked off its supports, the game is interrupted and the wicket stick restored on its supports.

Put-outs are made in the field or playing area A, by any player, other than the batters B, either by catching a 3 batted ball on the fly, knocking wicket sticks ofi supports with the ball, or by tagging a batter running between the stations 10, or by tagging a batter with the ball 42, While the batter has his batpfi the safety spot on his plate 12.

Each batter B continues to bat uhtil put out in any of the ways stated above, regardless of opposing batters being put out. Each time a batter is put out he rotates to a fielding or pitcher-catcher position, in accordance with pre-a'rrangement. I

While there has been shown and described herein a preferredform of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof 7 are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. Game apparatus for use in a game wherein there is provided a playing surface, a single ball, and a pair of ball bats; the apparatus comprising a pair of aligned and spaced playing stations on the playing surface, said playing stations each including a plate of generally triangular formation having upper and lower surfaces and forward and rear ends, the forward ends of the plates facing one another on the playing surface, a safety spot on the playing surface of each of the plates adjacent the forward end thereof for the location of one of theball bats thereon during selected portions of play, a pair of laterally spaced support locating spots on the upper surface of each of the plates adjacent the rear end thereof, a pair of substantially cylindrical, weighted supports for each of the plates, said supports each including a flat upper surface, and a wicket stick for each station, the supports being relatively short in height with respect to the length of the wicket sticks, the Wicket sticks being horizontally disposed between the supports on each plate and having at least one fiat surface which rests upon the flat upper surfaces of the associated supports. 7

2. Game apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said wicket sticks are substantially cylindrical and have flats on the undersides of their ends to rest upon the supports, the flats having vertical shoulders at their inward ends to engage and properly space the supports.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNET ED STATES PATENTS 268,057 Townsend Nov. 28, 1882 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,485 Great Britain sr -t 1902 OTHER REFERENCES British Standard Handbook, vol. 1, section on Cricket (32 pages). 

